Minimum tube amp for gig

im super new, so playing in front of human beings is a ways off. However, I was curious, what is the minimum wattage and what not you'd need in a tube amp to play live? I was messing around at the store today on a Fender Blues Jr. I gotta say, I quite liked it.

The 1W on my amp would be enough for a bar if people were to shut up.
You need a cutting sound, and to me, that means mids and treble should be plenty. However, that's more about the speaker than the amp in most cases.

A colleague of mine did some gigs with her Tweed Blues Jr. She plays mostly acoustics, though, so she played it clean with no fx. Sounded nice. Not like her dreadnought, but nice.

The issue is whether or not you need actual real cleans. If you do, you need a heck of a lot more wattage than that has been discussed here. If you are ok with hairy, slight break up and so forth rather than real cleans, then you can go with a little amp.

The issue is whether or not you need actual real cleans. If you do, you need a heck of a lot more wattage than that has been discussed here. If you are ok with hairy, slight break up and so forth rather than real cleans, then you can go with a little amp.

On the first day my colleague played her Blues Jr, there was open mic at a little bar. After her, it got loud and crowded in the room, people came from work, and two guys came on stage, a bass player and a guitar player. Man, that bass guy could sing.
Anyway, after people kept talking throughout their first song, they turned up their amps (I later discovered that the guitar guy had switched from 0.5W to 1.5W) and played - it really was loud. Then, with every song, they turned their amps down a little until for the last two, they went back to 0.5W and whatever the bass amp was set on in the end. You could hear them perfectly. That bar was quiet.
Now you can question, of course, if open mic nights are meant to be listened to or if it is ridiculous to expect whole rooms to fall quiet when the music starts, but what they did worked, however pedagogical it might have been.

I have 12 and 20 watt one channel amps. They are easily loud enough for playing bars. The 20 watt is rarely above five. The 12 Watt is usually around eight. I play with a very loud drummer. I've been asked to turn it down but that that may be because of my playing. I like some dirt in my tone. If you want sparkling clean I would look at 40 watts and higher. I've used up to 80 watts in the same venues. It was hard to get any dirt without pedals. I really don't like the distraction of pedals when playing live. I like to control things with the guitar's volume. With the lower wattage I can get decent, not crystal clear, cleans with the guitar volume around five then crank it up if I want some breakup.

If there is no PA to mic through, 15 tube watts ought to be sufficient. Try to find an amp with an output switch or control.
I have one that is switchable between 7w/15w with 7 being plenty loud for a home.

Yeah, lots of gigs with a BJ, playing with a band. Mic'd and not mic'd. Mostly very successful. Really depends on the venue too. Lots of gigs here in England are pubs with very low ceilings. Fill them up with people that are no more than 3' from the band and its like playing into a pillow. A little difficult to get it just right sometimes..

I have a Mesa 5/25 and have yet to need more volume. Unless you are playing a really big place with lots of loud obnoxious patrons and loud drummer( I know oxymoronic statement) then you will be fine with 25-30 tube watts. Most smaller places I've played with the Mesa I was using the 5 watt setting and was plenty loud.

I have 12 and 20 watt one channel amps. They are easily loud enough for playing bars. The 20 watt is rarely above five. The 12 Watt is usually around eight. I play with a very loud drummer. I've been asked to turn it down but that that may be because of my playing. I like some dirt in my tone. If you want sparkling clean I would look at 40 watts and higher. I've used up to 80 watts in the same venues. It was hard to get any dirt without pedals. I really don't like the distraction of pedals when playing live. I like to control things with the guitar's volume. With the lower wattage I can get decent, not crystal clear, cleans with the guitar volume around five then crank it up if I want some breakup.

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What???

There's someone other than me that gets it done with low watts and no pedals at gigs?